I think I’m learning things about onions I never knew, at least in terms of how various packagers portray their product. For one, location. I’m finally actually thinking about where various vegetables come from. Given certain stereotypes I learned growing up, one might suspect that Idaho merely grows potatoes. But alas, Idaho seems rife with onion production. Good job, Idaho, for breaking through some boundaries.

Also, that eagles want something to do with onions. I’m assuming that something does not bode well for the onion. The eagle represented here seems to have that poor onion in a grip with its talons, and given the way the head is bent down, as if going in for some pecking. I typically thought eagles were birds of prey, (according to popular folklore) but hey, maybe when pickings are slim, they go vegetarian. Onions would not be my first choice, though.

Then again, we may be going for some national pride connection. And who doesn’t like, LOVE America? Communists, that’s who. But the yellow mountains and red sun do kind of throw me off a little. Are we on planet Krypton? Or perhaps its a representation of Jupiter, as the lines in the sphere kind of make a little red spot, like the great red storm on Jupiter. I’m reaching here, I know. Sometimes I try to take these images too literally. I just sometimes find myself wanting to know why, and what the artist was thinking. Curiosity, that’s all.

…

Some days I think about the afterlife. I’m hoping there is one. And that it’s a sweet one. For example, I hope there’s a series of giant rooms like galleries, where you can wander around and see how much stuff you produced in life. I really want to know, when my life is said and done, just how many onions I’ve cut up. And in the gallery will be a massive mound of onions, all the onions I’ve touched, so I can see just how many that is. Or how much ketchup I’ve consumed, in a large vat. Or beer, etc. I think that would be awesome.

Hmmm. Something suspicious here. I’m going to have to wait until work tomorrow to investigate this further, namely that label on the right that due to my awesome photography skills is somewhat unreadable. But I do believe that looks like the state of Idaho on the label.

Though I could be wrong. Geography is not my strong suit. I still cannot locate Potatoes city anywhere (see previous post).

Perhaps though, this blog is finally beginning to uncover something here. Though I happen to reside somewhere in the Midwest, I would like to point out that certain states are known for intense rivalries. Growing up in the state of Chicago, I have vague memories of people blatantly hating on Wisconsin. Particularly in the form of those who drive automobiles, disliking those that drive automobiles from other states. Then again, that could just stem from my father, who explained everyone else’s bad driving habits by the state license plate on the other person’s car (“oh, they’re from _______, that explains it.”) Insert any state name there, nobody knows how to drive, according to my Dad (who got a ‘C’ in driver’s ed; we know because we found his old report card. And he’s a lousy driver.)

Another culprit in the state bashing other states category is the great sport of hand egg, otherwise known as Football. For instance, the Bears vs. Green Bay, or on the college level, Michigan vs. Ohio St. People almost shed blood over this sort of thing, and I’m really wondering what was the original cause of all of these rivalries. Is this some sort of natural human phenomenon, that we’re programmed to have a distrust of our neighbors? Did one team severely beat the other team, and its been head to head ever since? Did some Model T driver from one state cut off another Model T from a different state, and thus condemn us all to follow in the footsteps of these ancient prejudices? Does every state just kind of collectively hate Ohio? Seems that way.

But I digress. West coasters, you’ll have to inform me. Does Oregon consider Idaho to be Eastern Oregon? Are there state rivalries on your side of the America? And are these onions being used as a low blow in some classic state vs. state brouhaha?

…

And I’m finally glad to see some onions presented in their natural habitat, with some tools of the trade thrown in for good measure. Though the matching blue of what I think is a river, and of the shovel and pick there, kind of makes me cautious. Shovels aren’t made of rivers! Again, I’m guessing that’s actually just saving on the ink cost. And I’m not going to mention any sort of hidden communist agenda, because I really didn’t think that the pick and the shovel resemble the hammer and sickle at all. They’re blue, anyways. Sheesh. That would be Unamerican.

…

(And I hope my blatant sarcasms and critiques aren’t coming off as condescending, or being ill-natured. I truly do appreciate all of the artwork I come across in my daily workings. And yes, I know Chicago isn’t a state.)